Our take

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As Trump fiddles on climate, the world goes Californian: As President Donald Trump toys with the planet’s destruction, Germany’s Angela Merkel realizes he can’t be trusted. California has known that all along.

Take a number: 43 percent

A growing proportion of voters want Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll out Wednesday. That number is up from 38 percent last week, and it’s now even higher than Trump’s approval rating in the Gallup daily tracking poll.

It’s not a good sign that those trend lines have crossed for a president without any major legislative accomplishments to speak of, and embroiled in the Russia investigation that has now ensnared Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser. Former FBI Director James Comey is reportedly cleared to testify next week, and the House Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed key Trump aides.

Even a White House war room and incessant tweets attacking the media may not be enough to turn these numbers around. – Foon Rhee, @foonrhee

Their take

San Francisco Chronicle: The process of making California’s state budget requires legislators to make many compromises. Unfortunately, one group whose needs have too often been compromised by the budget process are foster children. We agree.

East Bay Times: California adopted reforms last year to curb predatory disability lawsuits but, as evidenced by more state and federal proposals, the problem remains.

Kansas City Star: Go out and ask 10 Missourians of voting age if they know about the state’s new voter ID law. Here’s betting that seven of them will give you a blank stare. But on Thursday, the law goes into effect, and that poses big challenges for state officials responsible for getting word out about this whopper of a change to the right to vote.

Ross Douthat: There’s a striking contrast between Donald Trump’s strange Russian romance and the way that the Communists in John Frankenheimer’s movie “The Manchurian Candidate”went about their America-subverting scheme.

Mailbag

“The new gas tax won’t hurt the rich or the upper middle class. It will only hurt the lower classes. Should we believe that our legislators are oblivious to all this, or could they believe they will be re-elected no matter what?” – Ted Pickett, Placerville

Californians dismal take on Trump

A new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows President Donald Trump’s approval rating is an abysmally low 27 percent among California voters. Even worse for Trump and what’s left of the California Republican Party, 82 percent of Latinos who are likely voters disapprove of the president’s performance, as do 75 percent of likely voters ages 18-34. George W. Bush approval rating in California was 57 percent at this point in his presidency. Bush did not fall to a 27-percent approval until October 2007. At this rate, it will take a generation for Republicans in California to recover, if ever.